Rise seen in children admitted to hospital for tooth extraction

The number of UK children being admitted to hospital for tooth extraction due to decay is rising fast, according to new official data.

Figures from the Health & Social Care Information Centre have shown a 9.81 percent increase in the number of children admitted to hospital for this reason over a four-year period, with the problem affecting youngsters up the age of ten.

Indeed, the need for tooth extraction continues to be the number one reason why children aged between five and nine are admitted to hospital – an issue that needs to be addressed, given that 90 percent of tooth decay is avoidable.

The Royal College of Surgeons has therefore called on the government to work together with dental professionals to raise awareness of the impact of sugar on tooth decay, while improving access to NHS dental services.

This latter point is particularly important, as around 40 percent of children still do not visit the dentist each year.

Professor Nigel Hunt, dean of the royal college's Faculty of Dental Surgery, said: "Regular visits to the dentist encourage good oral health and provide rapid diagnosis and treatment to prevent children from being hospitalised due to tooth decay."